


It's Not Actually That Far

by raggirare



Category: Free!
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-09-13
Updated: 2014-09-13
Packaged: 2018-02-17 06:06:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,046
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2299244
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/raggirare/pseuds/raggirare
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Prompt fic for the prompt 'online dating au' for a challenge with the SouMako network over on Tumblr. Semi-future fish au. I spent so long bouncing between whether to make Makoto a firefighter or a swim instructor - so I made him both.</p>
<p>Mentioned SeiGou but it's so brief I didn't bother tagging it.</p>
            </blockquote>





	It's Not Actually That Far

_[ 17:37 ]_  
I forgot how tiring these  
festival days could be.

_[ 17:37 ]_  
Definitely fun but definitely  
tiring.

_[ 17:38 ]  
_ Oh! But more importantly!

_[ 17:38 ]_  
You remember how I told you  
about Hayato-kun right?  
The little boy who was too  
scared to put his head in the  
water?

_[ 17:38 ]  
_ _{image attachment}_

_[ 17:39 ]_  
He raced today and won a few  
of them! His brother insisted he  
take a photo with me since I’ve  
been his coach.

—

“Six in one go?” Minami counted off the notifications between sips of his coffee as he neared the table. “New record.”

“Someone’s popular.”

“Or he screwed up.”

Sousuke rolled his eyes at his partner’s quip, a hand lifting to flip the red-head off while the other snatched his phone off of the table surface before grabbing hands could reach it. “Minami, don’t you have someone else to annoy?” He commented, jerking the hand clutched around his phone out of reach. “Like Uozumi?” 

There was a grumbled protest, but eventually the other officer conceded and headed out of the break room in search of his own partner, and Sousuke dropped down into one of the chairs with a relieved sigh, rolling his shoulder. “What’s for dinner today?” He asked, leaning back and crossing one ankle over his knee, finally turning his attention to the messages that had buzzed his phone to life earlier. “You said Gou had made bento.”

Rin hummed an affirmation and placed a tiered bento box on the table next to where one of Sousuke’s elbows was resting, a pair of chopsticks placed on top. “It’s just mixed,” he explained as he sat down across from his larger partner, opening out his own box. “Bright, though. Guess her and Seijuurou managed to make up.”

“I told you you didn’t have to worry,” Sousuke commented off-handedly, eyes still focused on the device in his hands. “Those two love each other. You can see it.”

“Speaking of which, you’re making that face at your phone again.”

—

_[ 17:48 ]_  
Didn’t I tell you you’d be  
able to help?  
Cause I’m pretty sure I did.

_[ 17:48 ]_  
Cute.  
The kid is pretty cute too,  
I guess.

_[ 17:50 ]_  
Home now? Or are you  
headed to the station?

—

“What face?”

“That face you make whenever you text that cop of yours.”

Makoto’s face flared, red darkening solidly from the tips of his ears to his neck and blooming in patches down his chest and back, the sight only deepening when the older male laughed.

“Coach Sasabe, h-he’s not…” The brunette trailed off with a sigh, eyes lingering on the phone sitting on the base of the open locker in front of him. The blush was already starting to fade away - the quick recovery the only saving grace when it came to the colouration happening so easily - and he continued to get changed, peeling damp material from his skin, shedding his swimsuit and pressing his skin dry before pulling on a pair of pants. “He’s all the way in Tokyo,” he continued finally, slipping his belt through the loops. “It wouldn’t work.”

“Why dismiss it so easily? You haven’t even gone to meet him in person, right?” Sasabe pulled his shirt on over his head, taking a few seconds afterwards to check his hair. “Why not take a weekend to visit?”

—

_[ 17:56 ]  
_ Sousuke! \\(///Σ///)\ 

_[ 17:57 ]_  
Home tonight. Station  
tomorrow. 

_[ 17:58 ]_  
You’re working tonight,  
aren’t you? Stay safe!  
Don’t let Matsuoka drive!

—

“It’s not as though I can just ask him to come to Tokyo for a weekend.”

Rin blinked, not even bothering to swallow his half-chewed mouthful. “Why not?” he asked, expression betraying his impatience. “The whole point of meeting people on those online dating sites is so that you meet up and, you know, actually date.” He paused to swallow, poking his chopsticks in the other man’s direction. “Or why not go to him?”

“Well, for one, our shifts are all over the place,” Sousuke reasoned, glancing from the almost empty bento in his hands to the screen of his phone on the table’s surface as the device buzzed with another reply. “Plus he’s already said he’s had to pick up extra shifts at the fire station because they’re short on volunteers. There’s no time.”

—

_[ 18:03 ]_  
Don’t worry, Rin’s not  
driving tonight.

_[ 18:04 ]  
_ _{image attachment}_  

_[ 18:05 ]_  
You really think I’d let  
that drive me anywhere?

_[ 18:06 ]_  
If it’ll make you feel  
better, I’ll let you know  
when I’ve finished my  
shift.

—

“You do plenty of overtime for them, Makoto,” Sasabe turned the key in the lock before removing it and turning back around, arms folding over his chest. “If you ask them in advance, I’m sure they’d be happy to give you the time off.”

Another sigh slipped from Makoto’s lips and he looked down at the ground in front of him, kicking at a stray stone. “What if it doesn’t work?”

“So what if it doesn’t work?” The blond lifted a hand a placed it on the younger man’s shoulder, his lips pulled in a kind smile. “Even if you just stay as friends, wouldn’t you want to meet him?”

“I do want to…”

“Then at least ask him. Even if you don’t decide when yet, ask him how he’d feel about you visiting.”

—

_[ 18:09 ]_  
Does Matsuoka know you  
send me incriminating pictures  
of him?  
So cruel to your partner. 

_[ 18:10 ]_  
That would make me feel better.  
Then I can make sure you’re  
having a proper breakfast as well. 

_[ Drafted; 20:13 ]_  
I’m coming up to visit family in  
Tokyo next mo 

_[ Drafted; 20:42 ]_  
I have a weekend off soon, would  
you like to meet u 

_[ Drafted; 23:57 ]_  
How’s Tokyo this time of year? I’d  
like to visit. 

_[ Drafted; 00:30 ]_  
So I heard about this really great  
restaurant in Tokyo somewhere.  
How about we go together?

—

“If you won’t, then I will.”

“Rin! Rin, you bastard, give me back my phone!”

“Not until he says yes!”

“He won’t even be awake at the moment!”

—

_[ 00:31 ]_  
So Rin’s decided he’s going to  
drag me along when heads  
down to Iwatobi to visit  
family in a couple weeks.  
Whaddya say to dinner and  
a movie or something?  
My treat.

 


End file.
